〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Num. 39. and prayed â—ot in vain but obtained what he asked and without prayer â—ould not we may well think obtain â—t which of us can be so negligent as â—ot to pray For to what end can we think was â—ll this done by him but to show us â—he obligations of Humane Nature â—nd to make us sensible of our depenâ—ance on God and that we can have nothing without his Will and that is absolutely necessary our wills shâ—â— be wholly regulated by his He 〈◊〉 not all this barely to give us an exaple but to demonstrate and make know that no man though never perfect can live to God with praying to him CHAP. IV. Other Arguments of the great Nâ—â—sity of Prayer VI. IT may be useful to us furtâ— to consider that God hath 〈◊〉 pointed his Holy Spirit to assist us this Duty which is a convincing 〈◊〉 monstration of its great necessity we will judge of things according the account which God makes of theâ— Who lest this Duty should not be wâ— done lends us his power to perform acceptably unto Him And shall 〈◊〉 suffer the Holy Spirit to wait upon â—o no purpose Nay shall it follow us â—ontinually and urge us to have reâ—ourse to God inspiring us with good â—houghts and exciting pious desires â—nd we refuse to be led and conducted â—y its holy motions This is as unnaâ—â—ral as for a man to have a Soul and â—ever think to have a Tongue and never speak Eyes and a power to see and never open them VII It is as considerable also that â—e hath appointed his Son to be our Mediator and Intercessor with Him in â—he Heavens Which supposes both that we will do this and that it is most necessary to be done For otherwise we make void this new Office of our Blessed Saviours which God the Father in his infinite Wisdom and tenâ—erest compassion hath created We make him an Advocate without Clients an Intercessor who hath nothing to do but waits in vain for our Petitions Good Lord That Men should be so ignorant or presumptuous as to account themselves Christians and never or seldom lift up their minds 〈◊〉 hearts unto him in the Heavens 〈◊〉 feel any need of his Patronage 〈◊〉 make use of his most powerful interâ— for the obtaining any Blessings 〈◊〉 them which they cannot have unâ—â— they address themselves to God them in his prevailing Name and alone VIII The Necessity also of this 〈◊〉 be understood by the frequent injâ—ctions we meet withal in Holy Scritures for praying alwaies praying wâ—â—out ceasing and with all Prayer and Sâ—plication in the Spirit as I have beâ—â—noted Which declare it to be a â—â—ness of such importance that we canot subsist without it but must useâ— as constantly as we do our Meat aâ— Drink or rather more constantly being of such great concernment thâ— it is as necessary as our very breath The Incense in the Temple as 〈◊〉 John teaches us viii Revel 3. repâ—â—sented the Prayers of the Saints Noâ— it may not be unworthy our observaâ— on to note that whereas the Shew-breâ— whereby an acknowledgment wâ— made as some think that they receiâ—ed all their food from God was reâ—ewed and set upon the Holy Table in â—he Sanctuary but once every Week â—nd the Lamp in the Temple which â—â—gnified perhaps the Light of God's Word was dressed once every day The Incense which certainly signified their Prayers was renewed by God's order twice every day and offered upon the Altar Morning and Evening Which may suggest unto us that we â—â—ght to be more sensible of the need â—e have of the Word of God and â—rayer than of the need of our dayly â—ood but especially of Prayer Though we read often yet we stand in need to â—ray oftner IX For it is our main security our â—reat safe-guard our refuge and place â—f retreat in all the dangers unto which we are exposed in this present World and therefore is not only mentioned by the Apostle as a part of the Christian Armour but set also in the last place as that which compleats all the rest of the whole Armour of God vi Ephes 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostome oâ—â— speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. xxx in Gen. CAP. xi for Prayer 〈◊〉 mighty Weapon a powerful defence wâ—â— out which no manâ— be able to stand â—maintain his grounâ— gainst the Assaults temptations nor oâ— come his spiritual Enemies but which we lay hold upon the Arm of Almighty for our defence and succoâ— and engage the power of God to with us and assure our selves if rightly manage it of a certain 〈◊〉 ctory For herein we imploy all the othâ—â— parts of the whole Armour of God whâ— the Apostle there requires us to 〈◊〉 unto us and to put on us We our knowledge of the Truth and our Faith our Love and our Hâ— and have recourse to the Word of Gâ—â— particularly to his pretious promise and declare our sincere affection to Righteousness and our upright intâ— tions to persist and continue thereâ— by the help of God which we imploâ— So that it is the more necessary because by Prayer all the graces of God's Holy Spirit are continually exercised and kept in ure the whole Armour of God is girt closer to us and we are made more expedite and ready on all occasions to encounter with the Enemies of our Salvation X. Whence it was you may observe in the last place that Holy Men who lived the Life of God in this World could never be perswaded to omit it I will give but one instance of this in the Prophet Daniel who when he had received the command of a great King to forbear praying to his God for the space of 30 dayes durst not consent to a complyance with his will and pleasure And yet Daniel was a good Subject as well as a wise Man who was very sensible what ready obedience ought to be paid to Kings and how necessary this Obedience was where a contrary antecedent necessity did not â—e upon him to obey God Especially when the thing was enjoyned under the penalty of Death and when his Soveraign did not require a total forbearance of this Duty but only for a liâ—â—ted time And yet so it was he câ—â— rather to lose the favour of his Prinâ—â— who had been very kind to him nayâ— lose his Life as well as his Honoâ— and more than that to be thrown in the Den of Lyons there to be torn pieces and devoured by those ravenâ— Beasts than to omit his constant â—â—votions to the Supreme Lord and â—â—veraign of Heaven and Earth 〈◊〉 saith the History of his admirable â—â—ty vi Dan. 10. When Daniel knew 〈◊〉 this decree was signed mark that went into his house and his Window 〈◊〉 open toward Jerusalem he kneeled 〈◊〉 his knees three times a day and pray and gave thanks before his God 〈◊〉 did afore time Which shows that in his opiniâ—â— it is more necessary
particularly by St. James Unto which though some Additions perhaps had been then made as there have been more since yet it is hard to think that a great number of Bishops would have owned a Liturgy as composed by St. James if there had not been a constant tradition among them that the Apostles left some stated Form of Prayer and Praise in the Churches which they governed But what need I trouble my self with a long proof of this matter when we have the Confession of the most Learned and Best Men among those whom they that dissent from us have been wont to reverence that there hath been no time wherein there was not a prescribed Form of Divine Service Let Dr. Preston speak for all in a Book of his much prized in former times * Saints dayly Exercise p. 80. where after he had owned that Christ prescribed a Form c. he adds And in the Church at all times both in the Primitive times and all along to the beginning of the Reformed times to Luther and Calvin 's time still in all times the Church had set Forms they used and I know no Objection of weight against it And in Answer to that common Objection which he calls the main one that in stinted Prayer the Spirit is straitned and limited c. He answers as we do now That even those Men that use this reason do the same dayly in the Congregation for when another prayes that is a set Form to him that hears it And therefore if that were a sufficient reason that a Man might not use a set Form because the Spirit is straitned he should not hear another pray at all though it be a conceived Prayer because in that case his Spirit is limited to what that Man saith And very judiciously adds That it is not a bond or restraint of the Spirit because there is a tye of Words For the largeness of the heart standeth not so much in the multitude and variety of Expressions as in the extent of Affection And at last concludes That a set Form of Prayer must be used Would to God they that scruple it would weigh such things as these it would not be long then before they liked nay loved that Form of Prayer which is used in this Church For it is so exactly conformable to the Rule of the Holy Apostle which I have often mentioned 1 Tim. ii 1. consisting of unexceptionable Prayers Supplications Intercessions and Thanksgivings that one cannot but think the Composers of it laid that Rule before them when they framed it It would be too long to give an Account of the whole Book which it is easie to show is made up of those four parts of Divine Service Look only into the Letany which is a word signifying properly a Supplication for the turning away of evil things with which it begins and then proceeds to Prayers and to Intercessions having in the end a general Form of Thanksgiving And observe the admirable Method of it It directs our Prayers to the ever Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost the only Object of Worship and Fountain of Mercy Of whom we first deprecate evil things and that in the right order first desiring to be delivered from the evil of Sin both of the Spirit and of the flesh and then from the evil of punishment whether in outward or in inward judgments All this we pray to be delivered from by what Christ hath done and suffered for us and by that alone which is the most prevalent way of suing for Mercy And by the way observe that what some through misunderstanding I hope have been pleased to make the Subject of their Mirth and Sport is really and ought to be esteemed the most serious and effectual Supplication that can be made to our Lord. By whose Holy Nativity and Circumcision by his Baptism Fasting and Temptation by his Agony and bloody Sweat by his Cross and Passion by his Pretious Death and Burial by his Glorious Resurrection and Ascension and by the Coming of the Holy Ghost we pray to be delivered For thus it is Our Lord having humbled himself to be a Man for our sakes nay to take on him the form of a Servant and after all his other Sufferings at last to dye the Death of the Cross for us is gone with that Blood which was there shed into the Heavens and is exalted at God's Right Hand in the High and Holy Place where he represents all that he did and suffered from his coming into the World till his going out of it before God and in the vertue of his bloody Sacrifice which he made of himself pleads to have every thing from God which he hath promised and cannot be denied Now for us to beseech him that through the force of his Sufferings of all sorts especially of his cruel Death and the Glory that followed we may be delivered and saved from all evil is the most pathetical the most powerful way of intreaty and the most prevailing importunity that can be used It is as if we should say Lord show unto the Father what thou hast indured for us represent unto him thy obedience unto Death which he promised to reward with all power in Heaven and in Earth Exercise thy Royal Power which thou hast obtained by that humble Obedience for our Deliverance and Salvation As thou hast received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and imparted it to thy Apostles so pour it down more and more upon us also who believe the Gospel which they preached and testified to be the truth Then follow Petitions for all good things First For the Universal Church then for our own in particular For the King and Royal Family For all in Authority under him For all sorts of Persons and for all sorts of Blessings both for Soul and Body Be at the pains I beseech you to read and consider it with such Observations as these and it alone will be sufficient to make you in love with the rest of the Book of Common Prayer A Book so fully perfected according to the Rules of our Christian Religion Dr. Taylor Rector of Hadley in every behalf that no Christian Conscience in the opinion of a famous Martyr in Queen Maries Dayes whose words these are could be offended with any thing therein contained And therefore I conclude that as it would have been a great Sin in the Church of Ephesus if they had dislikeâ— and rejected that way of Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivingâ— wherein Timothy led them to serve God so it will be still in us if we refuse those Directions which are given us in the Divine Service by our Spiritual Governours when it is manifest they guide us by the Word of God and the Apostolical practice according to it If they had composed a Divine Service wherein they required us to prâ—â— to Angels or to Saints departed tâ—â— Life or to supplicate God by theâ—â— Merits and their Intercession we should
not find in the whole Law of Moses any precept for Prayer Of which what reason can we give but this that it was so sufficiently known to be a Duty by the common Light of Nature that there needed no Instruction about it Nor can I observe hitherto any Command in the Gospel of Christ barely for Prayer but only for the manner of Prayer As in the place first mentioned When thou prayest enter into thy Closet and pray to thy Father which is in secret And in other places Watch and Pray Pray continually Pray with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Pray in the Holy Ghost Pray alwayâ— and not faint Pray in the Name of thâ— Lord Jesus All which suppose thâ— Duty of Prayer and only direct how it is to be performed For the further clearing of which general observation let these following particulars be considered I. That it is Natural to everâ— living sensible Creature to look back to its beginning and to own its dependance upon that from whence it derives its being Thus we see the young ones of all sorts of Animals open their Mouths and wait as it were for provision from the old ones while they remain weak and tender 〈◊〉 running also to them for shelter anâ— protection while they are unable tâ— defend themselves Upon which score Prayer is as necessary for us and as natural to us as it is natural to an Infant to cry for its Mothers Breast or something else equivalent thereunto that may satisfie its craving desires Because it is an acknowledgement and owning of God as the Original from whom we come and as the Author of all good in whom we live and move and have our being and a confession of our own weakness and helpless condition without his care of us The very Heathens had this notion in them that Mankind being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Off-spring of God brought forth by him into the World out of the Womb of his Almighty Goodness they ought to resort unto him even as the Chicken runs under the Wing of the Hen by whom it was hatcht or the Lamb runs to the Teats of her that yeaned it Proclus l. 2. in Timaeum And this say they we do by Prayer which â—s nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—eturn of the Soul back to God from whence it sprung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ur looking back to him from whom we come a reflection upon the Founâ—ain of our being and of all good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our turning about to â—he cause of our being a circling as â—t were to that point from whence we â—ook our beginning that we may be fast knit and united unto God and never be divided from him 1. And therefore to explain thiâ— more particularly Prayer is First An high Acknowledgment that Goâ— is the first cause of all things Wâ— magnifie him hereby as the Root thâ— Spring the Fountain of whatsoever wâ— or any other Creatures are or havâ— And without Prayer we do as bad aâ— say We owe nothing to any highâ— Being than our selves 2. Secondly We acknowledge all the Sovereignty which he therefore hatâ— over us and over all things in thâ—â— we ascribe unto him a power to command them all and to help and relieve and supply both us and them according to our various necessities 3. The Independency also of 〈◊〉 Being is herein acknowledged 〈◊〉 that we ask of him alone as having fâ—â— and absolute power within himself 〈◊〉 giving us help and comfort withoâ—â— craving it of any else 4. His Liberty and Freedom aâ— so in that it wholly resides wâ— confess in his Will and Choice whaâ— we shall have and how much anâ— when all as he pleaseth 5. His All-sufficiency likewise to inrich us without impoverishing himself 6. Together with his infinite Greatness and Immensity which is present to all places and ready to supply the needs of all Supplicants 7. And it is no less an acknowledgment of his Omniscience which can not only give audience to all Petitioners every where but exactly know both their necessities and their sense of them and the sincerity of their desires and also what is convenient for him to bestow upon them and will do them most good 8. His inexhausted Goodness and bounty likewise which is still ready and willing to pour out it self to us without any emptiness in the same Blessings that he hath bestowed for so many past ages And Lastly His Eternity and immutability in that after so many successions of Men in the World He is still the same unchangeable fulness unto whom we resort with the same confidence that good Men have ever done In short It arises out of a sense of all Gods Glorious Attributes and Perfections which are every one acknowledged in some part of Prayer or other though we should not expresly name them For in confession of sin we acknowledge his unspotted holiness and that he is of purer eyes than to behold that is approve iniquity In deprecation of his anger we confess his Justice in petitioning for pardon we proclaim his clemency in our request for Grace and Help we give him the Glory of his Power and when we recount his gracious Providences over us we acknowledge his incomparable Goodness and Bounty And therefore unless we will disclaim God and have nothing to do with Him we must perform this Duty of Prayer to Him This is the first Consideration II. To which add further That it is natural for every thing that is in want to desire supply from him that hath ability to fill it Now such is the state of every Man in the World We are at the best weak and feeble beggarly and indigent beings pressed with many and great necessities which we have no power to make up but only by going unto God Whatsoever is from the first Being wants something that it hath Every Creature therefore is imperfect and if any of them could be supposed to want nothing yet it would necessarily want the continuance of its being which it hath received from its Creator And therefore it is a true observation of one of the ancient Philosophers * Theodorus apud Proclum Ib. that all Beings pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except only the first Being which is God who hath none to pray unto but hath all of himself Prayer is a confession of the true state of our own Souls and Bodies as well as of Gods most excellent Perfections A declaration that we are poor and needy that we are crazy and insufficient of our selves that we are dependent and holden up by another So that we quite forget our selves if we do not pray to God We renounce all care about our own greatest concernments if we take no notice of Him on whom our present and future welfare both here and for ever intirely depends III. As it is natural unto every one in want to ask so it is natural unto every one that asks to put
which I further intend it may be fit to consider these two things First That we want no incitement or incouragement to the serious performance of this Duty frequently Secondly That we have a clear Direction in what hath been said to make a right judgment of our selvâ—â— whether we perform it as we ougâ—â— or no. 1. As to the former Let us considâ—â— how we will answer it to God if 〈◊〉 be not mightily excited by what I haâ—â— represented to be frequent and fervâ—â—â— in this Holy Duty whereby we 〈◊〉 receive such great Beâ—efits such 〈◊〉 Comfort and such high Honour 〈◊〉 Preferment as to be admitted into 〈◊〉 Divine Presence and to have sociâ—â—… with the Almighty Goodness 〈◊〉 alone can fill our Souls and 〈◊〉 thoughts of whom do really fill thâ—â— and give them satisfaction Especâ—â—â—ly when we have any reason to 〈◊〉 â—â—lieve that he loves us which we haâ—â— just cause to conclude when we 〈◊〉 that we heartily love him one prâ—â—… of which is our loving to be mâ—â—â— with him and delighting in his Coâ—pany From which we can never depâ—â—… unsatisfied but carrying away a coâ—fortable belief that he is with us aâ—â— will prosper and bless us may pass 〈◊〉 time delightfully here in this Worâ— and chearfully receive all events whiâ—â— at any time befal us and rest perfectly contented in every issue of his wise and good Providence unto which we have commended our selves with a full trust and confidence that it will dispose all things to our advantage This the very Heathen saw in some measure to be every mans interest as well as Duty which made Plato most judiciously resolve * in Timaeo that all men who have the least degree of Wisdom and Sobriety call upon God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. when they begin to move towards any undertaking whether it be great or whether it be small And to the same purpose is Porphyry his observation â—ong after Proclus L. 2. in Timaeum that all wise men in all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. have been very diligent and frequent in Prayers as a thing of mighty importance Which we Christians better understand than they could do and therefore should think it most adviseable upon all occasions to apply our selves to God about every thing both small and great because we believe him to be the Governour and Disposer of things who can make them insâ—â—â—ments of our grief and sorrow or our joy and comfort as he thiâ— good and because it appears frâ—â— what hath been said on this subjeâ—â— that so much of our life in this World Coelestial and Divine as we spend this exercise of Prayer to God Unto which therefore let both hâ—â— and low rich and poor betake theâ— selves as to the great Instrument their happiness here and Eternally Let the poor pray that they may contented and the rich that thâ— may be truly thankful Let the low and the mean pray 〈◊〉 their Spirits may be raised and iâ—â—bled inriched and well satisfied 〈◊〉 let the great and noble pray that thâ— minds may be humbled and abaseâ— their hearts emptied of self-confideâ—â—â— pride and contempt of others Let all pray that they may acknoâ—ledge God and maintain a sense of hâ—â— in their minds and give up themselâ—â— to his service and beseech his Grâ—â— and favour sutable to their conditioâ— Let those who are still bad pray to be made good and they that are good to be made better And if they really and heartily desire what they ask they will be more and more successful in their desires If they be not they may conclude their hearts were not right with God or they did not with becoming earnestness and fervency apply themselves unto him with a sense of their own great unworthiness for his Mercy and Grace towards them 2. For hereby as I said we may take a measure of our selves whether we perform this Duty as we ought or â—o By which I have shown we may â—eap the greatest Spiritual benefits and comforts and therefore if we find that our minds are more composed and â—etled if our hearts be more contenâ—ed if we be better satisfied in our condition if we be more resolved in our duty more stedfast in well-doing more patient in suffering if we can more chearfully submit our selves to God after we have commended our selves to him if we be more in love with all that is good and more averse to every thing that is evil it is a sign that we have prayed aright beeâ— our Prayers have done us good Let all that read this Treatise 〈◊〉 amine themselves upon this point 〈◊〉 your minds made more spiritualâ— your Prayers to God the Father Spirits Have you a greater sense him remaining in your minds aâ—â— more lively sense of the other Woâ—â— and all the concerns thereof Are 〈◊〉 raised above the petty concerns this Do you feel your Souls inlaâ—â— in universal Love and Charity 〈◊〉 you trust God more confidently 〈◊〉 you less disturbed with fears and caâ—â— and such like passions Do 〈◊〉 Prayers make you more just and mâ—â—ful more compassionate and charâ—â—ble more candid and favourable others more ready to do good and forgive forward to contribute 〈◊〉 you can to the comfort and happiâ— of every one Are your inordinate passions 〈◊〉 Appetites not only curbed and restâ—ned thereby but more subdued a mortified Do your Prayers give yoâ— taste of such pleasure in God and Holiness and Goodness as makes 〈◊〉 desire to be better acquainted with them and to prefer them above Riches and Honours and all manner of sensual pleasure Is Pride Ambition and vain Glory is Malice Hatred and Revenge is Anger and Wrath Coveâ—ousness and Care for the things of this World dayly suppressed and deadned In short Do we find that our thoughts are at rest in God and in his Love Are our hearts well-pleased and satisfied in his Favour and Grace cowards us Is this the highest boon we can beg of God that we may be thoroughly and universally good And when we find our selves improving herein and making any advancement towards that perfection to which we aspire is it the greatest pleasure to us of all other Are we abundantly satisfied in this thought that by God's Grace and Goodness to us every thing shall do us good Are our hearts set upon rectifying all disorders in our Souls and provided we can but feel an amendment are we quiet and in peace and less concerned about external things which we cannot rectifie according to our desires Then it is certain our Prayers have been truly â—â—vout and highly acceptable to Gâ—â— as we may perceive by this Bleâ—â— change in our hearts Which if we do not yet feel leâ—â— not quite discourage us but 〈◊〉 quicken our Spirits to more freqâ—â— and fervent Prayer with greater â—â—tention of mind and due considerâ— on what it is we ought most to deâ— in our Prayers to God And if we not content our selves barely with
the Psalmist nay with our Saviour Christ as I have before observed I will declare thy Name unto my Brethren in the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee Ye that fear the Lord praise him all ye Seed of Jacob glorifie him and fear him all ye Seed of Israel My praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my Vows before them that fear him Psal xxii 22 23 25. I will praise thee O God among the People I will sing unto thee among the Nations For thy Merey is great unto the Heavens and thy Truth unto the Clouds Psal lvii 9 10. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Psal lxxxiv 4. The Dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore Praise the Lord. Psal cxv 17 18. Which last words teach us that this is a piece of publick Service we do to God in this World which we are uncapable to perform when we are gone from hence Then the time is past of honouring God among Men by decâ—â—ring the sense we have of his Greatness and speaking good of his Name Foâ— though the dead are not quite silent yet what they say or do signifies nothiâ—â— to us in this World where we muâ—â— serve God while we live or else noâ— at all Which is a new consideration to quicken us to this Duty and to silence all those Objections which are apt to rise in our hearts against it Yes may some say We like the thing you press but are against the way of doing it in this Church In which some are distasted at all Forms of Prayer and others at that Form wherein we Worship God and him alone Unto the first of these I have this to say That when there were no Forms of Prayer left in this Church they that destroyed them did not dayly hold publick Assemblies Nor do they now make it their constant practice Which gives us too much cause to think they have not such a sense as is to be wished of their necessity But to let that pass supposing some have and that they only dislike a Form of Prayer it is something strange that the same Arguments which make them think dayly publick Assemblies to be needful should not also reconcile them to a Form of Prayer Which was constantly used by the Ancient Jews in their Assemblies as hath been undeniably proved by many of our Writers and was prescribed by our Blessed Lord and Master who made his Prayer I have shown for the publick Service in which he joyned with the Jews when he was at the Temple in Jerusalem and when he was in the Country went to the Synagogues which the Chaldee Paraphrast calls Houses of Praise in Isa vii 19. And so did his Apostles who themselves used a constant Form of Praise For they rested not Day and Night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. iv 8. This as I showed before was their continual Hymn which they offered to God and it appears by St. Paul's usual way of recommending the Churches to whom he wrote unto the Grace of God that they had their Forms of Prayer also For he himself constantly used these words The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all 2 Thess iii. 17 18. The same Power every Bishop had in his Church to compose Prayers for the necessities of it as we may gather from 1 Tim. ii 1 2. Which Exhortation is directed not to the people but to Timothy who was to take care to have all Men recommended unto God in the publick Offices by Prayers and Supplications with Intercessions and Thanksgivings for Kings especially and for all in Authority c. This could not be done orderly as all things were to be in the Christian Church without a set Form of Words which Timothy we may well think composed For those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prayers be made signifie as literally the Apostle would have Prayers and Supplications composed as that he would have them put up to God And I doubt not they signifie both First That they should be composed and then put up to God by the Church For you may observe further that the Apostles speak of this as their work Act. vi 4. where having bidden the Church look out some Men to be appointed to attend the business of providing for the poor they add but we will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word They made the Prayers where they were present as much as they ministred the Word Which is further manifest from hence that the Prayers of the Church of Jerusalem are called the Apostles Prayers Act. ii 42. And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Observe here how all the faithful stedfastly continued in Prayers as well as hearing the Word And that they are First called Prayers in the Plural number not one but many Prayers and then that they are called the Apostles Prayers Prayers made by them For the word Apostles in the beginning belongs to all the three things that follow as well as to the first To the Apostles Fellowship and their breaking of Bread and their Prayers as well as to their Doctrine To be brief as John Baptist being a publick Minister sent of God taught his Disciples how to pray and our Blessed Lord taught his Apostles So his Apostles in like manner taught those whom they Converted according to the pattern Christ had left them and no question delivered the same power to those that should have the Supreme Guidance Direction and Government of the Church to compose Prayers suteable to Mens necessities in the several Nations where they lived and over whom they presided It may be thought indeed that the Extraordinary Gift they had in those dayes supplyed all But it is manifest both that every one had not that Extraordinary Gift of Prayer and that they also who had were to be so ordered and regulated in the exercise of it by the Governours of the Church that it might serve its Edification And nothing tended more to the Edification of the Church than that it should have a standing known Form of Prayers and Praises without which it could not be known how they Worshipped God and not depend merely upon that extraordinary Gift which was not constant but vouchsafed only on some special occasion according as God pleased to impart it Which is not said arbitrarily by me but it appears by a convincing Argument that this extraordinary Gift was not intended to serve the constant necessities of the Church but only some particular purposes for they who had it could not make others understand it and are therefore directed by the Apostle to pray they might be able to interpret that others might reap some benefit
to pray and 〈◊〉 thanks to God than it is to live 〈◊〉 that there is a necessity also of the â—â—quent returns of this Duty For thâ— times a day as often as he did eat drink he continued notwithstandâ— the great hazzard he run therein pray and give thanks before his God CHAP. V. Some Reflections upon the foregoing Considerations BEfore I proceed to lay before you the great advantages we have by the serious performance of this part of our Christian Duty it may be useful â—ere to rest a while and only look back upon what hath been already discoursed Which if the Reader will please â—o do with a composed Mind and atâ—entive Thoughts he may soon know what to think of his condition if he â—ever set himself to this Holy Imployment or rather Heavenly Priviledge of making devout Addresses to God â—y Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving for all the benefits of which we are desirous or he hath already conferred on us Such men are without God in the World estranged from the Father of their being contemners of His Most Excellent Majesty Usurpers upon his Soveraignty that set up for themselves and live as if they were the Oâ—â—ginal of all things who stand in 〈◊〉 need to be beholden to any one hiâ—er and greater than themselves Guâ— they are of the highest Treason 〈◊〉 cause they refuse to pay the most naâ—ral and necessary acknowledgment 〈◊〉 to the most High They will not oâ— him as their Lord nor make any â—nifications of their dependance on hiâ— but use him as if He were only a Naâ—â— to whom we owe a slight respect 〈◊〉 no solemn constant reverence and 〈◊〉 vice Lay this to heart I beseech yoâ— whosoever you be that do not 〈◊〉 it one of the most serious businesseâ— your Life to pray unto God Coâ—der what you are in what relation â—â—stand to him and what a bold disoâ—ing of him this is That you may humbled for it and come and 〈◊〉 down your selves and kneel before Lord your Maker to beg his parâ— for this contempt to beseech 〈◊〉 Grace and assure him hereafter your faithful service 2. And that you may so do leâ—â— from the foregoing Instructions 〈◊〉 pray to God not merely because you think he will have this acknowledgment or else be very angry but because He â—â—ght to have it as we are his Creaâ—â—es who cannot be happy without â—â—due respect to the Father of our being the Fountain of all bliss If you think this Duty might have been left â—â—done had not God exacted it by â—â—me positive Law it may make you less forwardly inclined unto it nay apt perhaps to grumble sometime at the burden as you may be prone to account it and too willing to find preâ—â—nces that may seem equitable and fit 〈◊〉 be allowed for the omitting it But 〈◊〉 you look upon it as enacted in the very Laws of our Nature as standing upon no weaker ground than our very beings which we deriving from God â—â—e bound thereby to acknowledge Him you will not desire to be excused from it nor be backward to it but please your selves as well as Him in â—his most delightful imployment Remember You ought to look up unto God in Prayer and Praises because it is a natural Duty and that your Nature strongly inclines you to it because you are weak and in waâ— and that you should make it yâ—â— choice because it is a most noble â—â—â—viledge to be admitted into God's pâ—â—sence and that you should chuse to it frequently because you will be much the more happy by having 〈◊〉 oft in your thoughts and by be much in his Blessed presence whâ—able to impart everlasting felicity his devout and faithful Worshippen 3. Of which happiness let us not 〈◊〉 prive our selves by forgetting â—â—â—our Maker but be moved by the â—â—ny Arguments whereby I have ensâ—ced it to the solemn practice of tâ—â— Duty unto which we are formed Nature and mightily excited and sisted by Grace Never rise out of your Bed but 〈◊〉 fore you go about any thing else mâ—â— a tendry of your most hearty serâ—â— unto God implore his Blessing 〈◊〉 him know that you intend to be faiâ—â—ful to him all that day that youâ— member your Obligations to him a are resolved to make good your Pâ—â—mises and so beseech him to go alâ—â— with you and to prevent you in all yâ—â— doings with his most gracious favour and further you with his continual help â—â—at in all your works begun continued â—â—d ended in him you may glorifie his â—â—ly Name and finally by his mercy atain Eternal Life c. And do not offer to put a bit of â—â—ad into your mouths till you have acknowledged God who spreads your â—able for you and beseeched him to less the gifts of his goodness to you and to give you Grace to use the â—â—â—ength you receive from them in his service In like manner rise not from your Meat without a renewal of your thankful acknowledgments for your refreshment with such seriousness that it may be truly a Grace and not merely 〈◊〉 called That is an hearty expression of your gratitude to him and of your desires to have Grace to be as dutiful to him as he is bountiful to you in these and all other benefits He constantly bestows upon you And never think of putting off your Clothes to go to sleep before you have commended your selves and all yours unto his merciful Protection and reflected on his Goodness and thank◠〈◊〉 for his mercies past and expressed 〈◊〉 humble confidence in him for time to come and beseeched him make you fit and willing to die 〈◊〉 to be for ever with him Business I know is the pretended pediment to all this But is there business of such moment as that wâ— we have with God Or can any oâ— business be likely to succeed with his Blessing Or have we the foâ—â— confidence to expect his Blessing 〈◊〉 never ask it Who is there that 〈◊〉 say his Affairs in this World have â—â—fered by spending some time in â—â—mending himself and them unto Gâ— Nay what business is there that 〈◊〉 not go on the more chearfully 〈◊〉 prosperously when we have reasoâ— think that God is with us Accordâ—â—â— to that wholesome saying Robbery â—ver inriches Alms never impoverâ— and Prayer hinders no work Obseâ— it As no Man hath the more in 〈◊〉 World for what he gets dishonest by Theft or Cheating nor any 〈◊〉 the less for what he gives away 〈◊〉 of love to God and his poor Brethreâ— â—o no man gains time for his business â—y that which he robs God of in not â—â—aying to him nor loses he any time â—y that which he spends with God in his Holy Duty Therefore let none of us upon any â—ccount neglect it but think we do â—ur selves right as well as God by the â—â—ious and solemn performance of it 〈◊〉 own wants one would think â—ould stimulate us sufficiently unto it â—r if we could be supposed to
conversant in this Duty have no 〈◊〉 prehension at all but are perfeâ—â— blind and stupidly senseless of inviâ— ble and spiritual injoyments Whâ— by their minds are straitned and â—rowed having no thoughts beyâ— their own poor selves and that only this present World when they tâ— set their minds to an holy conveâ— with God in this Spiritual Duty this means mightily widen and inlarge them which is the other advantage I mentioned extending their desires and cares so far as to make them solicitous for the welfare of the whole World both now and for ever This is one of the greatest Excellencies of Holy Prayer that it inlarges our Spirits so far as to enable them to extend their Charity to all Men which it is not in our power by any other means to do We approach unto infinity and immensity in our desires and wishes and in our good will and readiness to benefit all the World Every part of which though never so far distant from us we may help this way and express our affection to it though we are so contracted and limited in all other abilities but this that we know not how to serve them in any thing else Our Prayers alone can reach them and there is no Country nor people out of their reach but in these holy desires we may stretch forth our souls to the furthermost parts of the Earth and looking up to Heaven draw down the blessing of God upon them By which we may learn the neceâ—ty as well as the excellency of Praâ— Without which we grow strangers to God and our Heavenly Countâ—dull earthy poor spirited and defâ—cable things minding only our sely and looking no further than this 〈◊〉 sent World and our particular â—cerns therein but by the practice which we maintain our acquaintaâ— with God and with the Spiritâ— World nay become Friends of Gâ— and grow great minded Heavenly Sâ—ritual able to look beyond our liâ—selves nay beyond all things visiblâ—large comprehensive full of hiâ— thoughts and lofty designs posseâ— with Divine Affections moved truly Noble Ends fraught with Geâ—rous Desires and Transcendent Hopeâ— which fill our hearts with proportâ—nable comfort and satisfaction I conclude this with the words of 〈◊〉 Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. As the Sâ— gives light to the Body Prayer doth to the Soâ— and therefore if this be the great calamâ— of a blind man that he sees not the Sâ—â— what a loss is it to a Christian not to prâ— â—â—tinually and by that means bring the â—ight of Christ into his Soul CHAP. VII The Pleasure which springs from the â—serious performance of this Duty THE great Man just now named would have us when we pray to think our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the midst of the Holy Angels and that we are performing their service For though we are far removed from them in other things in their Nature Diet Wisdom and understanding yet Prayer is the common Imployment and business of Angels as well as men By which we being segregated from Beasts and knit to the Angels shall shortly be translated into their Polity their manner of Life Honour Nobility Wisdom and Understanding spending all our Life in the service of God Which is a very leasant Contemplation and a fit Introduction to the second thing 〈◊〉 dertook to demonstrate how 〈◊〉 fortable and truly delightful it iâ— approach unto God in such 〈◊〉 thoughts of him and Devout Affâ—â—ons to him as we are supposed to 〈◊〉 when we make our Prayers with â—ses and thanksgivings unto him And here it may be sufficieâ— consider only these two things First This must needs be a deliâ—ful imployment because thereiâ— draw nigh to God as I have alâ— saidl which is the description thâ—ly Scriptures give us of it Secondly In so doing we comâ— our selves and all our concerns 〈◊〉 the care of infinite Wisdom Pâ— and Goodness which is a greatâ— of the business of Prayer to God 1. The former of these may â—â—fily understood by considering to draw nigh to God is to fix our 〈◊〉 on him and lay open our Souls heâ— him in whose presence is fulneâ— Joy and everflowing pleasure That which produces pleasure is is the application of our Faculties â—sutable objects with suitable opeâ—ons about them And the nobler the faculties are and the higher the objects the greater must the pleasure needs be which arises from their conjunction Now our minds and understandings are the highest powers which we have and God is the highest object on which our minds can fix and therefore the application of our Souls to him by the thoughts and affections of our minds which are their operations cannot but produce the highest pleasure as much above all bodily pleasure as our Souls are above our Bodies and God above all worldly things If we feel no such pleasure in our approaches to him it is because our thoughts of God and our affections towards him are dull and liveless We do not stir up our Souls to think seriously of him when we fall down to worship him but suffer our hearts to be far off from him when with our lips we draw nigh to him For were our minds possessed with setled thoughts of his Almighty Power All-seeing Wisdom Boundless Goodness tender Mercy and careful Providence in compassing us and all Creatures bestowâ— great benefits on us now and inteâ—ing greater they would unspeakaâ— delight us The smallest glance have of any of these infinite perfeâ—ons which we acknowledge in 〈◊〉 beginning of all our publick Praye touches us if we mind what we 〈◊〉 with a singular pleasure though cannot at that time have more thaâ— short thought of them And the fore what joy may we not receive â—â—hence in our secret and retired Deâ—tions when we may stay and look long as we please upon any of thâ— Divine Attributes which affect 〈◊〉 hearts delighting our selves in 〈◊〉 thoughts either of his Power whâ— nothing can controul or of his knâ—ledge from which nothing can be hiâ—den or of his wonderful love whiâ— thinks nothing too great to give of his over-ruling Providence whiâ— makes all things work together 〈◊〉 good to those that love him or of 〈◊〉 impartial Justice which in due seasâ— will not fail to render to all men boâ—â— good and bad according to their dâ—ings And when these pious thoughts stirr up in us the passions of love and hope and longings to be more filled with such delightful thoughts of him and affections towards him the pleasure must needs be exceedingly increased As every one may be convinc'd who are not so ill-natur'd as to have no body that they love in this World For they that have a faithful especially if it be also a powerful Friend find nothing so sweet and delightful as to love him sincerely and to be sincerely beloved by him And therefore to feel in our hearts an ardent love to God which naturally makes us hope we are beloved
such Heave joy in this Duty as I am not able describe For who can doubt that frequently illuminates their minds 〈◊〉 strengthens their thoughts to unâ—â— stand and perceive his Divine pâ—â— ctions more clearly and lively 〈◊〉 they could of themselves and the by raises up their Love and 〈◊〉 Hope and their Joy to a greâ—â— heighth of satisfaction Which increases also by secret touches 〈◊〉 their hearts exciting all these beyâ— the Pitch to which our highest thouâ—â— would advance them But omitting this I shall conâ—â— this Head with the wâ—â— of St. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome wâ—â— will serve also for aâ—â— troduction to the 〈◊〉 Prayer is the Imployment of 〈◊〉 gels and much exceeds even 〈◊〉 dignity as appears by this that 〈◊〉 approach with great reverence 〈◊〉 the Divine presence teaching 〈◊〉 address our selves to God with 〈◊〉 likefear mixed with joy With 〈◊〉 lest we should prove unworthy of this favour with joy at the greatness of the Honour that is done us Mortals in permitting us to converse continually with God By which we get out of this mortal and temporary stare and pass over to immortal Life for he that converses with God must necessarily get the better of Death and Corruption Just as those things that are alwaies inlightned with the rayes of the Sun cannot remain in darkness so it is impossible that they who enjoy familiarity with God should continue mortal For if they who are taken into the society of a King and advanced to honour by him cannot be poor how much more impossible is it that they who by Prayer have familiarity with God should have mortal Souls Ungodliness and an irregular Life is the Death of the Soul therefore the Worship of God and a Conversation sutable to it is its Life Now Prayer leads us to an Holy Life becoming the Worship of God nay it marvellously stores our souls with the most pretious Treasures Whether a man be a lover of Virginity study purity in a Married Eâ—â—â— whether he would suppress anger purge himself from envy or doâ— other good thing Prayer is his 〈◊〉 ductor and smoothing the way him makes the course of Veready and easie For it cannot that they who ask of God Teâ—rance Righteousness Meekness Goodness should not obtain 〈◊〉 petition CHAP. VIII The great benefits we receive by ous Prayer to God WHat force there is in Prâ—â— both to make us and preâ— us such as we ought to desire to may be understood in great part what hath been already discourseâ— the two foregoing Heads Whe I have represented how it raises ritualizes widens and greatens minds filling us with high thoughts possessing us with Heavenly Affections satisfying us in the Love of God putting us into the Divine protection â—â—curing us against all Events and drawing down upon us the Divine â—lessing In short it is a vast improvement of our minds by lifting them up above themselves as well as above this World and that not only for the present but tying us fast to God by a constant sense of him which it is apt to leave upon our minds it puts us into a pious temper and constantly disposes us both to do aright and to judge might also For if we would know whether a thing be good for us to have we need but consider whether we dare pray for it or no and whether a thing be lawful to be done we understand by considering whether we dare recommend it to the Divine Blessing and beg his presence and concurrence with us in it This is commonly a good Direction and will put a stop to us in all bad proceedings Nay so great a power there is in Prayer that we perceive the good it doth us even before we receive that which we come to ask For no â—â—ner doth a man lifâ— his hands to Heaven St. Chrysostom's * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 32. wâ—â— are and call upon Gâ—â— but he is snatcht from this Woâ—â— and translated into the other if pray with care and diligence so 〈◊〉 if anger boiled in him it is preseâ—â— quieted if lust burnt it is quenchâ— if envy gnawed it is easily expell for as the Psalmist observes that wâ—â— the Sun arises all the Beasts of 〈◊〉 Forest lay them down in their Deâ—â— who in the Night had crept forth when Prayer goes forth out of Mouth the Mind is inlightned with a certain beam of Light and unreasonable and brutish passâ—â— steal away and dare not appeâ—â— Nay if the Devil himself was the he is driven away if a Daemon heâ— parts provided we pray with attâ—tive and wakeing minds But I will summ up what I have 〈◊〉 say on this Argument in this sinâ— Consideration If it be highly beneâ—cial to be truly good and God-liâ—â— we are highly beholden to Devoâ—â— Prayer which is a Blessed Instrument thereof Now all Mankind cannot but agree in this that it is our highest perfection and therefore nothing ought to be more desired by us than to be made like to God in Righteousness Goodness and true Holiness Unto which it is easie to show we are formed by every part of Prayer Whether we acknowledge the Divine perfections which it is senseless to praise and not to make our pattern or confess our own guiltiness which is a disowning and condemning all evil courses or make an Oblation of our selves to him that made us whereby we deliver up our wills to his or give him thanks for his benefits whereby we â—onfess the Obligations we have to be wholly his but especially when we peâ—ition him for pardon which supposes we resolve to be better or for his Diâ—ine Grace to assist us to perform our Duty faithfully of which if we have a serious desire it will incline us and dispose us thereunto for all Creatures â—ndeavour to accomplish their own desires Nay it will powerfully move â—s to pursue what we would have by such means as God to whom we pâ—â— directs us to use for the obtainâ— thereof Nay The very thought we form our mind when we set our selves 〈◊〉 pray that we are going to God 〈◊〉 place our selves in his presence wâ— sees all things even the most hidâ— motions in the secret recesses of 〈◊〉 Soul which accordingly frames it 〈◊〉 to please him as present to it and 〈◊〉 specting it and penetrating to 〈◊〉 bottom of it searching the Hearâ— and trying the Reins This thougâ— say and the alteration it works in 〈◊〉 is of such great advantage to us thaâ— we should suppose him who prayeâ— God to be a gainer 〈◊〉 otherwayes he ought Origen * L. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ev◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 26 27. observes to thought to have receiâ—â— no common benefit who thus revereâ—ly and piously disposes and frames 〈◊〉 mind at the very time of Prayer 〈◊〉 which how many sins are banisheâ— and how many good deeds are proâ—ced they can tell who apply theâ— selves continually to pray unto Gâ— with such serious
your sins Such Petitions the Ancient Christians thought so powerful that they supposed they could obtain any thing of God by combining as it were together to seek his favour in the Common Prayers of the whole Assembly Apolog. cap. 39. Coimus ad Deâ—um ut quasi manu facta precationibus ambiamus c. saith Tertullian We come by Troops to make our Prayers to God that being banded as it were together we may with a strong hand sue to him for his favour Haec vis Deo grata est This violence is grateful unto God It is a force which he loves and such pressing Supplicants are welcome to His Majesty To the same purpose St. Ambrose speaks in his Book of Repentance as Mr. Hooker hath observed Many of the meanest being gathered together unanimously become great And it is impossible the Prayers of many should be contemned Which was a Notion so much rooted in the Jewish Nation that they have an opinion the Prayers of the Congregation were alwayes heard Rel. Assembl p. 173. but not so the Prayers of particular persons in private as Mr. Thorndike observes out of Maimonides But we have no neeed of their opinion or any ones else to justifie this that there is the greatest force in the Publick Prayers of many joyning their desire in the same Petitions For St. Paul who might presume to have as much power with God upon his own single interest in him as any man whatsoever yet thought the Prayers of a great number of Christians would do him more service And therefore frequently begs of the Churches that they would assist him with their earnest Prayers to God for him Thus he writes to the Romans xv 30 31. Now I beseech you Brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the Love of the Spirit observe how passionately he desires this That ye strive together with me it is such a kind of phrase as that I mentioned of Tertullians in your Prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the Saints And to the Corinthians 2 Cor. i. 11. You also helping together by Prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf Where he plainly acknowledges it would be much to his advantage if many did contribute their help both in Prayers and in Thanksgivings on his behalf Nay he should be able he thought to preacâ— the Gospel better and with more Authority as well as freedom if the common Prayers of Christian people were not wanting on his behalf iv Coloâ—â— 2 3 4. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving Withâ—â— praying also for us that God would opeâ— unto us a door of utterance to speak thâ— mystery of Christ for which I am iâ— bonds that I may make it manifest as ought to speak Behold how solicitouâ— St. Paul was to have the benefit of the Churches Common Prayer And hoâ— great a man was he Inferiour to none but rather as St. Chrysostoâ— describes him * Hom. xxxiii Tom. 1. de petitione filiorum Zebed the 〈◊〉 best of men the teacher 〈◊〉 the World who speedily passed as if he had had Winâ—â— over Sea and Land that chosen Vessel the Spokes-man of Christ to espouse Sâ—â— to him the Planter of Churches thâ— wise Master-builder the Preacher 〈◊〉 Racer c. who left monuments of 〈◊〉 vertue all the World over who 〈◊〉 snatcht into the third Heaven before 〈◊〉 Resurrection who was taken up into Paradise whom God made partaker of iâ— effable mysteries who received a more abundant Grace and laboured more abundantly than they all This man begs for the Publick Prayers and could not be satisfied unless he was commended by them to the Grace of God A sign that he lookt upon them as most efficacious for though God as Grotius excellently observes upon xviii Matth. 19. Oft-times grants to one mans Prayers that which he asks yet to many who unanimously joyn in the same Petitions He gives both more willingly and more largely and more speedily Which by the way is an unanswerable Reason why the Publick Prayers ought to be in a known Tongue that all may joyn in desiring the same thing and by their united desires prevail for the greater Blessing Hear St. Chrysostome whose words upon the 2 Cor. viii 24. Hom. xviii in 2 Cor. marvellously illustrate this and all that I have said Where the Apostle exhorting them to shew to those whom he had sent a proof of their love before the Churches he interprets it in the publick Assemblies And then adds and this is no small matter for great is the power of an Assembly or of the Churches Behold What their Prayer can do it loosed the bonds of Peter and it opened the mouth of Paul They that are about to be ordained therefore beg the Prayers of the Congregation in like manner for those who are possessed and for those that are in penance Prayers are made by the whole Church and not by the Priest only They all say one and the same Prayer a Prayer full of compassion For in this the people are concerned as well as the Priest they praying for him as he for them He saith the Lord be with you and they answer and with thy Spirit And what wonder is it if they pray with the Priest when they send up the Holy Hymns of the Church in common with the Cherubims and the Powers above This that good Father repeats very often and I wish it were imprinted in all our minds and did sink down into all our hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. iii. ad pop Antioch c. The Common Prayer of the Church can do much when we offer up those Prayers with an afflicted Soul and with a broken and contrite heart L. viii p. 424. Edit Cant. The same Origen tells Celsus in words worthy to be remembred If when two of us on Earth agree together to ask any thing Matth. xviii 19. it is granted by the Father of the just who is in Heaven for God delights in the symphony and agreement of rational Creatures and is displeased with their discord and disagreement what might we not expect if not only as now a very few but the whole Roman Empire agreed together to sue for the Divine favour They might pray to him that said heretofore to the Hebrews when the Egyptians pursued them THE LORD SHALL FIGHT FOR YOV AND YE SHALL HOLD YOVR PEACE Exod. xiv 14. And praying most unanimously obtain greater Victories than Moses then did by his Prayer to God for help III. But further we are to consider how much our Zeal and Devotion is naturally inflamed by Publick Assemblies which is a thing of great power in Prayer For it is that which the Apostle calls praying in the Spirit and
Divine Goodness it is impossible but he should humble himself before God and have a broken and contrite heart This takes down all pride this layes all arrogance low this teaches us to be modest and behave our selves with all humility of mind contemning the Glory of this present Life and designing the future good of that Life which is immortal Thus he And we may understand how much more grateful it is to the Divine Majesty to have all this done in publick than only alone by our selves by that passage among others in the Psalmist Psal xxii 22. I will declare thy Naâ—â— among my Brethren in the midst of thâ— Congregation will I praise thee Which the Apostle applyes to our Lorâ— Christ and interprets the words as if they were spoken by him Heb. ii 12. where he proves that Christ is not ashamed to call us Brethren saying 〈◊〉 will declare thy Name unto my Brethreâ— in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee Behold here how 〈◊〉 makes this the voice of Christ himself who taught us by his own example how acceptable it will be to God the Father and how profitable to ouâ— selves to praise the Name of the Lord with the rest of our Brethren in the Publick Assemblies and proclaim both the benefits we have received from him and the Duty which we owe unto him IV. Unto which that we may be the more strongly excited let us consider further that the Blessings we most want as we are sociable Creatures being publick Blessings they ought in all reason to be sought in our Common Prayers as most generally needful for us all For so you may observe that the Apostle directing the Service of the Church in 1 Tim. ii 1 2. requires in the very first place That Prayers Supplications Intercessions and Thanksgivings be made for all Men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty Nothing he knew was of greater concernment to the good of the World than to have Governours whom he elsewhere calls the Ministers of God preserved in their just Authority especially to be blessed with good Governours who might be conservators of Peace and Quietness punishers of Vice and Wickedness a terrour to evil doers and incouragers of those that do well And therefore he ordains that this great thing should be askt of God by Publick Prayers because it was of universal concernment and of highest moment to every mans happiness which ought to be preferred before any particular respects unto which their Petitions might be directed Agreeable to this I find in Josephus that the Ancient Jews lookt upon it as their Duty when they offered Sacrifice unto God to pray in the first place L. 2. contr Apionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the common safety or Salvation And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their own private concerns For we are born saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for communion and society one with another and therefore he who prefers the common concerns before his own private advantage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be above all others very acceptable and dear to God This passage among others is cited by Eusebius and we may add to it L. viii de praepar Evang. Sect. 8. what the Hebrew Doctors now tell us in their Books that the last thing the High Priest prayed for on the great day of Expiation just before he came out of the Holy Place was this That God would not hear the Prayers of those P. Fagius in Levit. xvi 17. who were in a Journey that is Prayers made for mens own private benefit against the Publick Interest such as the Prayers of those in a Journey are wont to be who desire fair Weather when all the Country prays for Rain But howsoever this was it is plain by the Apostles words that he would have those things principally askt of God which related to the community which ought therefore to be sought by their common Prayers and Supplications And so they were Anciently in the Christian Church as we find in Tertullian to name no other Author who describing the Christian Assemblies saith We pray there for the Emperors and for their Ministers and for Powers and for the State of the World for the quiet of things Apolog. Cap. 39. and for the delay of the end of the World Which he had declared before more largely We pray to the Eternal God for the health and safety of the Emperors to the true God the living God who made them Emperors and whom it concerns the Emperours above all things to have propitious to them c. To him we look up Ib. Cap. 30. and all of us pray alwayes for them that they may have a long Life a secure Empire a safe Family a valiant Army a faithful Senate c. This was so known a practice and it was so firmly believed in those dayes that the Peace and Safety the Honour and Prosperity of Kings and Kingdoms depended very much upon the due performance of this dayly Service that there are examples of Heathen Princes who had so much Faith as to desire to have their safety commended unto God in the Prayers of the Church Which were instituted with such a peculiar respect it appears by St. Paul to the welfare of Princes the support of their Government and the prosperity of their people that they cannot be neglected without indangering the good estate of the World And may possibly be one reason why the World hath been so full of disorder and confusion because Christian people have not applyed themselves earnestly enough in dayly Publick Prayers which are generally disregarded to beseech God for the publick good and tranquillity but are wholly bent to the fulfilling of their own private desires V. And as we ought thus to joyn in Prayer that we may recommend our common concerns to the care of Almighty Wisdom and Goodness so likewise that we may by the common Offices of Religion keep our selves the closer knit together in firm Love and Unity in the same society For nothing combines men so strongly as Religion and the purer it is the greater effect it hath for the stay and support of the Commonwealth Which hath made all Law-givers as Aristotle observes in his Politicks to exercise their first care about Religion because it is that which qualifies all sorts of men to be serviceable to the Publick making Governours as Mr. Hooker I think speaks apter to rule with Conscience and Inferiours for Conscience sake willingly to obey their Governours It was an admirable saying of Plutarch in his Discourse against an Epicurean * Advers Coloten That a City may as well be built in the Air without any Earth to stand upon as a Common-wealth or Kingdom be either constituted or conserved without the support of Religion Take this away and you take away the Foundation on
that the greatest Blessings have then been bestowed when God's people were at their Publick Prayers which is a mighty Argument to frequent them in hope then to prevail far more than we can in our private addresses to him In the Old Testament the examples of it are many particularly in 2 Kings iii. 9 10. where you read that the Hosts of three Kings being ready to perish both Man and Beast for want of Water and the Prophet Elisha undertaking to furnish them therewith it came to pass in the morning when the meat-offering was offered which was the time when all the people were at their Prayers in the Temple there came Water by the way of Edom and the Country was filled with Water ver 20. Why did it come at this time rather than any other but to honour the Publick Prayers and Sacrifices and to let them know what great benefits they might receive thereby if devoutly attended And when there could be no Assemblies at the Temple in the time of their captivity yet they praying then privately with respect to it as Members of that Church God was pleased to answer their Petitions at that very hour when Publick Prayers had been wont to be made at that place For it was about the time of the Evening Oblation that the Angel Gabriel was caused to fly swiftly to Daniel as he was Speaking and Praying and Confessing his Sin and the Sin of the People Israel and presenting his Supplication before the Lord his God Dan. ix 20 21. And the tydings he brought him were the most joyful that ever had been heard for they were the very same which the same Angel afterwards brought to the Blessed Virgin concerning the Birth of our Lord Christ to lay down his Life for us And in the New Testament you may observe God sent his Angel to bring St. Peter out of Prison after a miraculous manner delivering him out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews while many were gathered together praying Act. xii 12. We read in the 5. ver that prayer was made without ceasing or instant and earnest Prayer was made of the Church unto God for him and in the very time when many that is the whole Church were gathered together that is in the time of Common Prayer God sent Salvation to him Upon which words St. Chrysostome occasionally reflecting cryes out if the Prayer of the Church was so available for Peter if it rescued him out of Prison who was a Pillar of the Church how comes it about that thou hast no sense of its Power but despisest it and settest it at nought by thy neglect of it What excuse canst thou make for this especially Hom. iii. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when if there be a Sermon we see a crowd of people and the Church as full as it can hold O sayes one I can pray at home but I can hear Sermons no where but in the Church Vain Man thou deceivest thy self Thou canst indeed pray at home but thou canst not pray so as thou dost in the Church where there is such a multitude of Fathers where a cry is sent up to God with one accord Thou wilt not have such audience when thou beseechest the Lord by thy self as when thou prayest with thy Brethren For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something more in this viz. the Concord the Conspiration and Harmony of many in the same Petition the Bond of Charity and the Prayers of the Priests for therefore the Priests preside in those Assemblies that the Prayers of the Multitude which are weaker may by the help of theirs which are stronger go together with them into Heaven Add to this what good doth a Sermon do when Prayer is not yoked with it First Prayer and then the Word as the Apostles say Act. vi 4. We will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word Thus St. Paul doth praying in the Preface to his Epistles that the light of Prayer like a torch may usher in the Word And if thou didst accustom thy self to pray with exact diligence thou wouldst less need the Instructions of thy fellow Servant God himself illuminating thy mind without his assistance And if thou thinkest thy Prayer alone to be of such force how powerful must it be when joyned with a multitude This is far more nervous and there is greater confidence and assurance in it than in that which is made at home and in private So St. Paul thought when he said he who hath delivered and doth deliver we trust will yet deliver us You also helping together by Prayer for us 2 Corinth i. 10 11. So St. Peter also got out of Prison for earnest Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him CHAP. XVI Which is further confirmed by the practice of the Apostles and the first Christians III. THE next thing I observe is that according to the Direction of our Saviour and the incouragement he had given them to expect his Blessed Presence among them the Apostles and the rest of Christ's Disciples immediately upon their Masters ascension unto Heaven assemled themselves together for common Prayer and Supplication For so we read in the Act. i. 12 c. that as soon as he was gone out of their sight and the Angels had told them whither he was gone They returned unto Jerusalem and when they were come in they went up into an upper Room the place as shall be shown presently of Christian Worship and all continued with one accord in Prayer and Supplication with the Women and Mary the Mother of Jesus and with his Brethren It was in their Assemblies we read in St. John where our Saviour often appeared to them presently after his Resurrection Joh. xx 19.26 and we may well think it was for Devotion that they assembled for it was on the first day of the Week But here we read expresly after he was ascended into Heaven what they did in those Assemblies In which there being one day an hundred and twenty met together they made solemn Prayer to God for direction in the choice of a new Apostle to succeed in the room of Judas Act. i. 15.24 But that which is most remarkable you find in the beginning of the next Chapter that when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with Tongues c. This great gift whereby they were to gather a Church in all Nations as they had began to do at Jerusalem and thereabouts came down upon them when they were all met together for the Service of God The one place here spoken of being no other than that mentioned before where they continued with one accord in Prayer and Supplication The place where they assembled immediately after his Resurrection as I said just now and in all
of it is an Assembly of Men and Women called to meet together and therefore the Christian Church is such an Assembly called to joyn together in Worshipping God by Christ Jesus who himself hath supposed this in the Prayer he gave his Disciples and hath promised his special Presence in such Assemblies which the Apostles constantly held and there received the first and best Fruits of his Love in the descent of the Holy Ghost which drew all Converts every where into the same Blessed conjunction for which Holy Places were appointed where they constantly Assembled and where the extraordinary Gift of Prayer was to be made common or else lookt upon as of little value where God hath appointed his Ministers to attend and there offer up the Prayers of his people and bless them in his Name where the Angels also are present and delight to see us assembled that we may maintain the Communion of Saints here on Earth and be fitted for the company of the Blessed in Heaven who all joyn together in giving Blessing and Praise and Honour unto him whom we Worship who is far Exalted above all Blessing and Praise either of ours on Earth or of theirs in Heaven Consider I say all this and then think what an errour they live in who make little or no account of the Publick Assemblies but imagine they can pray and serve God as well by themselves alone This is a most unchristian thought directly contrary to the very frame of our Holy Religion which therefore ought with all diligence to be exploded out of every one of our minds As for those who do not barely neglect the Publick Service but refuse to joyn in it they are still in a far worse condition having broken themselves off from the Body of Christ which the Ancient Church thought so heinous a crime that they lookt upon their Prayers as an abomination For so I find in the Council of Antioch * Canon 2. that such Christians were condemned as going into any private House prayed together with those who would not joyn in the Prayers of the Church None of the Church were to joyn in their Prayers if any did they thought it equal to the crime of communicating with Excommunicated Persons The like I find in the Council of Laodicea And the Canons ascribed to the Apostles speak to the same purpose Can. 33. Can. 10. And this Sentence of those Councils is very conformable to the sense of the Ancient Jews whose Maxime this was as Mr. Thorndike * Relig. Assembl p. 173. observes He that dwells in a City where there is a Synagogue and prays not there with the Congregation this is he who is called a BAD NEIGHBOVR And well may he be called bad who will have no Society in the best things who cuts himself off by his own act from the Congregation of the Lord who will not afford his Neighbours the help of his Prayers who lives as if the World could be Governed without taking any notice of God the Supreme Governour who directly overthrows the Christian Religion and destroys the very notion of a Church who hath no regard to Holy places and slights God's Ministers who withdraws himself from God's special presence and protection and defies all the Blessed company of Heaven Among whom he can never hope to find any entertainment nor to be received into the Coelestial Habitations having shut himself here out of the Society of Saints and the place where God's Honour dwelleth Would to God such things as these were seriously and deeply considered by us all that our minds might be awaked to a diligent and constant attendance upon the Publick Assemblies Which our Lord hath taken the greatest care to establish and unto which he hath also granted very high Priviledges lest they should fall into contempt or neglect through Mens Idleness or Covetousness or Conceitedness or by any other means whatsoever Certain it is if we had an hearty Love to our Religion and understood it we could not but be so in Love with the Publick Exercises of it as every day if it lay in our power to go into God's house and there recommend our selves and his whole Church to his Grace and Mercy For there is no way it is evident from what hath been said to uphold and support the Church like to this we being a Church by meeting together to have communion in the same Prayers Which the oftner we have the more we look like a Church and act like Members of the Body of Christ who are combined and knit together for mutual preservation As on the contrary the seldomer we meet the less there is of the face of a Church among us which cannot be preserved from ruin when the Publick Assemblies are generally neglected because the Church falls to decay by that very neglect Let us therefore set our selves to maintain the Church of which we are Members by maintaining Publick Assemblies and suffering no day to pass without a solemn meeting in as full a Body as we can make for the duties of our Religion This would be both an Ornament and a Strength and Establishment to our Religion The Truth which we profess would hereby be both honoured and confirmed and appear with greater Authority as well as Beauty in the Eyes of all its Adversaries when they beheld the Multitude the Unanimity and the Order and Constancy of those that assert it The better and gentler sort of them would be the more easily won to joyn with us and they whose hearts are alienated from us would be the less inclin'd to set themselves against us And for the Grace and Favour of God which is the chief thing of all Christians may promise it to themselves for their protection against all their Adversaries when they constantly and earnestly seek it with their joynt Prayers and Supplications Which will be powerful also for the setling such as are wavering in their Religion whom the constant Authority likewise of a great Number of faithful people cannot but be of much moment to contain in their Duty for Men are ashamed to forsake a multitude when they easily desert small Numbers The Ancient Christians were so possessed with this sense that they lookt upon their Prayers as the impregnable Bulwark of the Church an unshaken Garrison terrible to the Devils and salutary to God's pious Worshipppers a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost Tom. 1. p. 757. Edit Fr. D. In so much that St. Basil speaking of God's gathering the Waters together which he called Seas and saw it was good Gen. i. 16. falls into a pious Meditation how much more acceptable to him such a Collection or gathering together of the Church must needs be b in Hexameron Hom. iv sub fin in which the mixed sound of Men Women and Children making a noise like the Waves dashing against the Shore is sent up to God in Prayers A profound Calm and Tranquillity shall preserve such
a Church unmoveable The Spirit of Wickedness shall have no power to trouble it with heretical Doctrines By which passage we learn both how full their Assemblies were wont to be and that the Prayers were understood by all the people who with one voice said the same that the Priest did as we now do in our general confession and that they hoped for great security from their common Supplications to God for his watchful Providence over them And thus our own Church in the second Collect for Morning Prayer by teaching us to look upon our Eternal Life as standing in the knowledge of God and to esteem his service to be perfect freedom inforces our resort unto him continually for our defence in that Service and Knowledge in all assaults of our Enemies The Effect of which it instructs us to hope will be this that we surely trusting in his defence may not fear the power of any Adversaries through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. This St. Chrysostome admirably represents Hom. in S. Lucianum Tom. 1. as his manner is in a Sermon upon an Ancient Martyr As a Man that alwayes stands upon a Rock laughs the Waves to scorn so he that enjoys the dayly Prayers and is moistned with the Divine Words having seated himself as upon the Rock of a right Judgment of things will be carried away with nothing here being raised alost out of the reach of all the Affairs of this Life And that not only from the goâ—â— admonitions he dayly receives but frâ—â—â— the Prayers and from the Paternal Beâ—diction and from the common conventiâ—â—â— and from the Love of the Brethren and from abundance of other things reaping much Benefit and Spiritual Consolatiâ—â— he goes home laden with a thousand Bâ—â—sings Insomuch that a Bride in 〈◊〉 opinion is not so beautiful and amiaâ—â—â— when she sits in her Bridal Chamber 〈◊〉 a Soul is wonderful and glorious whâ—â— it appears in the Church breathing forth Spiritual Graces which he comparâ—â— to fragrant Oyntments For he that iâ— conversant there with Faith and Diligence carries away innumerable Treâ—sures and though never so many dreadful things befall him he will bear them aleasily being sufficiently furnished out oâ— the Holy Scriptures with Patience and Philosophy He means the wise thoughts which the belief of the Gospel puts into us For which reason it was that the Enemies of our Religion bent their Forces not so much against particular persons as against their Assemblies which they indeavoured with all their might to destroy as the Nurseries of the Christian Faith Which being dispersed they doubted not but the Faith it self would be lost in that disorder They no longer lookt upon Christians as a Church when they did not meet together but as so many scattered Limbs of a Body which no longer subsists when the Members are distracted and torn asunder Against these strong holds therefore they laid their Batteries hoping when they were beaten down they should presently triumph over their Religion Which they knew it was hard to overcome whilst a great Body of Men remained knit together continually for its support by many Bonds and Holy Mysteries and the strictest Sacraments For which cause likewise it was that Christian people could not be perswaded to omit their Assemblies no not in time of Persecution when there was the greatest danger if they held them We learn so much from their very Persecutors particularly from the Famous Letter which Pliny wrote to the Emperour Trajan about this matter wherein we are informed that when it was not safe in the day time they met before the Morning Light to sing Hymns to Christ as their God To what shall we impute this Zeal Might they not have served God as well alone No they understood their Religion better than to be of that Opinion and knew it could not stand if they did not thus joyn together to uphold it Their Enemies they knew wisht for nothing more than that these Assemblies might be broken which whilst they continued were the Pillar and Stay of the Christian Truth And do we pretend to be Christians and to love our Religion and to desire nay hope for its safety and prosperity and make so little Account of these Holy Assemblies that the smallest matter will hinder our attendance on them Let us not against the clearest demonstrations persist in such a stupid error But awaken or rather inflame our selves unto such a degree of Zeal as to meet together dayly where we have opportunity for it to give Glory to God in his Church by Christ Jesus and to commend his Church as well as our selves and Families to the protection of his good Providence saying O Lord save thy People and bless thine Inheritance It cannot be imagined what satisfaction we should find herein did we make this our most serious business and instead of the excuses we now make for our negligence give all diligence thus to adorn confirm and secure our most Holy Religion It cannot be denied indeed that this hath been an Error of long standing For when the Church had rest from Persecution her Children began by degrees to grow remiss and wanton Prosperity and ease corrupted them and they cooled so much in their first love that many of them came but seldom to do their Duty unto God their Saviour But this was an extream great grief to their Pastors and brought the heaviest calamities upon Christian people Hear how the often named Father bewails this That the Church having brought forth many Children she could not enjoy their Company S. Chrysost de Baptism Christi Hom. xxiv Tom. 1. every time they assembled to remember our Saviour but only upon a Festival When you are all full of joy to day I alone am full of sorrow and grieved at heart to think that the Church which now hath such multitudes in it will to morrow be empty O how great Spiritual Exultation how great Joy how great Glory to God how great Profit to Souls would there be if every time we assemble we could behold the Church as full as it is at this solemn time Do you not see how the Mariners and Pilots when they are upon the Sea labour all they can to get into their Port And we on the contrary love to be tossed up and down in the Sea of this World ingageinâ— our selves in innumerable Secular Affairs which so take up all our thoughts and our time that here we appear scarce once or twice in the whole year Are ye ignorant that as God made Havens in the Sea so he hath made Churches in Cities that flying from the tumult or tempest rather of secular Affairs we may here enjoy the greatest Tranquillity And for this I may appeal to all your own Consciences whether you find not here such quiet and peace that you may truly call the Church the Spiritual Haven of the Soul For anger here gives no disturbance the storms of Passion cease Lust doth not inflame
and the Worship of God and a little after that he also appointed stated hours for these Sacrifices to teach us that the Church cannot be without a certain Discipline he then concludes Ac hodie nisi obstaret nimius torpor utile esset quotidiè haberi tales conventus and at this day if too much sluggishness did not hinder it would be useful every day to hold such Assemblies And in his Discourse upon the fourth Commandment L. 2. Institutionum Cap. viii Sect. 32. he not only asserts that Ecclesiastical Assemblies are enjoyned by God's words and that experience sufficiently shows their necessity and that the dayes and times must be stated and set or else they cannot be at all c. but in answer to those who objected Why do we not rather meet every day that distinction of dayes may be taken away He thus replies Vtinam illud quidem daretur c. Would to God we were able so to do For certainly it was a worthy Spiritual Wisdom which spared a little portion of time every day from other business for God's Service But if we cannot obtain from the infirmity of many that dayly Assemblies may be held and respect to Charity doth not permit us to exact more of them Why do we not yield Obedience to that which we see by the Will of God is imposed upon us And he thus concludes his Explication of that Commandment This general Doctrine is especially to be held That Holy Meetings be diligently and Religiously observed and such external helps constantly used as may serve to support and cherish the Worship of God lest Religion either fall to the Ground or languish among us To which I think fit to add what his opinion was concerning set times of Prayer for his Words are very instructive Upon Psal lv 17. his note is That from the mention there of Morning Evening and Noon we may gather that pious Men had stat as hâ—ras set hours for Prayer in those times Which good Men observed in their private Devotions because then the publick Service of the Temple was performed by God's appointment For the daily Sacrifice was offered every Morning and Evening And the mid-Day saith he was appointed for other Sacrifices The reason of which he gives upon the 18th ver Because we are backward to this Duty therefore God in fixing certain hours of Prayer intended to cure this infirmity Which same reason ought to be extended to private Prayer as appears by this place with which the Example of Daniel agrees And upon that practice of Daniel he thus writes in his notes on Dan. vi 10. This Example is worth the noting of praying three times a day because nisi quisque nostrum praefigat sibi certas horas ad precandum facile nobis excidet memoria We easily forget this Duty unless every one of us prescribe to our selves certain hours for Prayer From all which it is apparent that he lookt upon set hours for publick Divine Service as appointed by God and that he also thought the reason of it to be perpetual Because if we be left to our liberty we shall easily forget our Duty and perform that at no time which we imagine may be done at any time as well as at that which is appointed The benefit of which is this among others that where there are no publick Assemblies or Men cannot by reason of sickness or other urgent cause attend them they may at those set times offer some short Prayer to God in private and desire the publick Prayers of the Church where they are continually made may be accepted with him By which means they are in some sort present there and the Prayers they make in private become a part of the publick they praying as Members of that Body which is then met together in the House of God Thus St. Peter prayed privately as I observed above at the sixth hour when they were praying at the Temple and in Christian Assemblies and though alone at that time yet he chose the same hours with theirs that his Prayers might be joyned with the rest and not be single but united desires Thus St. Chrysostome directs his people in answer to those who objected unto his pressing Arguments for attending the publick Prayers how is it possible for a Secular Man ingaged in business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to pray at the three hours every day Hom. iv de Anna. Tom. 2. and run to Church To which he replies in this manner though it be not easie for every Man to run to the Church so oft yet it is easie for him even when he is in publick business to pray to God unto which not so much the voice is requisite as the mind And therefore let no Man excuse himself by saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the House of Prayer is not near to mine for if we be watchful the Grace of the Holy Spirit will make every one of us a Temple of God She that sits at the Spindle may look up to Heaven in her thoughts and call upon God with fervent desires and so may he that is in the Market or in a Journey or in his Shop making Shoes in like manner a Servant he that buyes Meat he that dresses it and all the rest when it is not possible for them to come to Church they may notwithstanding make fervent and lively Prayers to God who doth not despise the place where they are made but desires alone warm Affections and a serious composed Mind And he concludes thus My meaning in all that I have said is this That we should go to Church as oft as is possible and when we cannot pray at home in great quietness and tranquillity Which counsel if we would all follow that is if as many as can would come to the House of God every day and if they that cannot would let their hearts be there what Blessings might we not expect from God What a flourishing Church and happy Kingdom might we hope to see And there are a great many people I am sure have leisure enough in all Cities and Towns to fill the Churches where there are publick Prayers Nothing but that sluggish dulness Mr. Calviâ— speaks of is the hinderance Which if men would shake off and awakeâ— themselves to serious thoughts of God and the need they have of him and 〈◊〉 constant Prayer to him and such like things as I have represented theâ—â— would be publick Prayers where noâ— there are none and Men would crowâ— every day into the House of Goâ— where there are to Worship him and give him Thanks and beseech hiâ— to be gracious to them As for thâ—â— whose condition and business is such that they cannot possibly attend them nothing can hinder them but their own Wills from going thither in their Wills from going thither in their minds with serious Thoughts and hearty Affections intreating the Father of Mercies to hear the Prayers of those who are there
thereby and be able to say Amen thereunto 1 Corinth xiv 13 14 15 16. Upon which words St. Chrysostome supposes they ended then their Blessing in the Spirit with the very same Form of words wherewith we now conclude our Doxologies or giving Glory to God viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever and ever or throughout all Ages World without end as we translate the Apostles words Ephes iii. 21. And Peter Martyr thought he had reason to acknowledge as much For upon the forenamed place 1 Cor. xiv 16. he hath this observation From hence we learn that even in those first times the publick Prayers were wont to be concluded with these words secula seculorum World without end And this place of the Apostle puts me in mind of another undeniable Argument for prescribed Forms of Worship in the Christian Church which is that singing Psalms and Hymns made up a great part of that Worship and could not possibly be performed by the whole Congregation unless they had before them that which was to be sung Therefore singing by the Spirit that is by a Spiritual Gift the Apostle makes small account of unless what was sung were put into such words that all the people might understand it and sing God's Praises together with him that was inspired This is the Apostles meaning when he bids them speak among themselves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in their heart to the Lord. Ephes v. 19. Where by Psalms I think all agree are meant the Psalms of David which were a constant set Form of Praise Hymns and Spiritual Songs were the compositions its like of inspired persons then in the Church which could not be sung by all unless they were communicated to the whole Company And then they were a Form also and we may well think were sung more than once it being very reasonable to conceive that they had not every time they met a new Hymn no more than a new Psalm For St. Paul blames it as a confused unedifying thing that when they came together met that is in the publick Assemblies every one had his particular Psalm c. 1 Cor. xiv 26. and commands all things should be done to edifying by making the Psalm common that is so that all might be the better for it Such I perswade my self were the Prayers and Hymns which St. Paul and Silas sung in Prison not each of them their own Private Prayer and Hymn but some Common Prayer and Form of Praise which they were wont to use Act. xvi 25. Such Hymns it is certain there were in the Church which were sung every Morning in praise of our Blessed Saviour as Pliny himself testifies And Eusebius produces an Ancient Writer asserting the Divinity of our Saviour out of the Hymns that had been of old used in the Church acknowledging his Divinity L. v. Eccles Hist chap. 28. And that Writer calls them Psalms and Hymns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written by the faithful from the beginning which celebrated Christ the Word of God as God indeed The most Ancient of all which was the Doxology we still use Glory be to the Father and to the Son together with the Holy Ghost as St. Basil * ad Amphilochium cap. 27 29. or whosoever was the Author of the Book concerning the Holy Spirit reports Where he saith that thus it run before the Arian times After which to show that the Church meant in those words to ascribe equal Glory unto the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Son it was altered into that Form wherein it now continues not with the Holy Ghost but to the Holy Ghost Which is the very same as to the sense there being no real difference whether we say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost or Glory be to them with the Holy Ghost But to avoid all suspition of any distinction which the Church made between them the Form as it is now was thought better And so Ancient and Universal was this Form of Doxology that the Arians themselves used one very like to it giving Honour and Glory to the Father by his only begotten Son in the Holy Ghost as the same Writer informs us * Cap. 25. Which Originally had the same meaning with the other till they perverted it signifying as much as we say now in our Communion Service when we pray for the pardon of our Offences through Jesus Christ our Lord by whom and with whom in the Vnity of the Holy Ghost all Honour and Glory be unto thee O Father Almighty World without end I will not trouble the Reader with any more of the Ancient Hymns but only note that even in the Book of the Revelation we read not only of the Song of Moses but of the Song of the Lamb the latter of which was as much a set Form as the former and is there recorded Revel xv 3 4. Great and marvellous are thy Works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who would not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name For thou only art Holy c. And what hath been said of Hymns may be as truly said of Prayers that the Church had from the beginning a Form of Divine Service which Justin Martyr calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common Prayers and in Ignatius nearer to the Apostles time is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common Supplication which we cannot well think was any other than such as he or some other Apostolical Man prescribed In Origen they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prescribed or ordained Prayers regular Petitions which they who used were safe he saith from all the power of the Devil And as the Hymn they sung to Christ was so celebrated that the Pagans took notice of it as I observed before so these Forms of Prayer were now so well known to them that they got some scraps of them For we find these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord have mercy upon us in Epictetum in Arrianus a Pagan Philosopher who lived about the same time with Justin Martyr the next Age to the Apostles It is superfluous to add that the Emperour Constantine was wont to say with his whole Court 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius * L. iv de vita Constant c. 17. calls them the appointed Prayers And delivered a Form of Prayer to his Army to be constantly used by the Souldiers which Eusebius also hath set down in his Life * Ib. cap. 20. Let me only note by the way to quicken the Reader to this Holy Duty that as this Religious Prince had dayly Prayers in his Palace which he frequented with his Courtiers making it an House of God So he had likewise certain * Ib. cap. 22. hours wherein he constantly retired to pray by himself As for following Ages we find frequent mention of Liturgies formed by the Apostles themselves
expose us to contempt and loathing to harden Mens hearts against a just Reformation to make those who are reformed grow sick and weary and ashamed of the distracted unsetledness and ungovernableness of such people Who like nothing but what is unlike to all the Churches of Christ that have been in the World till this last unhappy Age. This cannot proceed from the Blessed Spirit of Grace which cannot lead Men to destroy the Church which Christ hath purchased by his Blood Which it is evident cannot be preserved much less promoted but by a due regard to those who are over us in the Lord and by adhering closely to such an Authentick Constitution as that of this Church which is the genuine Off-spring of the Apostles declaring nothing to the people but the true sense of the Ancient Apostolick Church throughout the World Which alwayes had such Governours of a superiour Order and Degree to other Ministers as we have such Prayers such Hymns in a word such a Face of Religion as is here seen in this our Church of England And may be seen Blessed be God in other Reformed Churches particularly in those called Lutheran who as Chemnitius tells us have had solemn Prayers every day and much after the same Order that is observed in ours His words are these Populus singulis diebus bis certa hora c. The people assemble every Day twice at a certain hour Exam. Concil Trident. Pars iv cap. ult Morning and Evening and after the singing of some Psalms Lessons are read in order partly out of the Old Testament partly out of the New And the Assembly concludes alwaies with Common Prayers and some Hymn of Thanksgiving And besides the people come together every Week on some certain Day in greater Multitudes to make Publick and Solemn Supplications which are called Letanies And so he proceeds to relate how they Worship God with the greatest Solemnity on the Lord's Dayes and upon special Festivals in memory of the great Benefits we have received on the Nativity Circumcision c. in short on all the Dayes now observed by our Church O that there were such an heart in us as instead of Wrangling and Disputing seriously to set our selves to make the best use we can of such Blessed Opportunities as God still affords unto us of meeting together every Day for his Worship and Service Especially upon Letany Dayes when there ought to be a fuller Congregation and more than ordinary Devotion One of those Dayes at least I should think every Devout Christian may easily see there is great cause to set apart every Week for Fasting and Humiliation together with Supplication and Prayer to the Divine Majesty that he would turn away his Anger from us Men are naturally too backward I know to such Holy Imployments and satisfie themselves that they have an Excellent Religion which they highly value without considering that they have so much the greater Obligation upon them to joyn frequently in the Holy Offices thereof Let that therefore for a conclusion be added to all the motives I have used in this Book to stir you up to the constant performance of this Duty that it will be the greatest shame to us if when they whose Religion is a false Worship have their constant Dayly Service and attend upon it we who have the truest Notions of God and the most Excellent Religion have less regard unto it by which means their Religion how corrupt soever it be is upheld and maintained and for want of this ours though never so pure must needs fall to decay For they that love the Religion they profess though it be not so sincere and perfect as it ought to be yet never fail to reap all the Benefits which it is able to afford and this among the rest that they keep their Religion by their unfeigned Love to it and Diligence in it Whereas the best and soundest Religion professed by those who bear not the like Affection to it yields those who thus retain it little or no benefit as Mr. Hooker hath observed and by degrees is lost for want of a due regard and earnest Affection to it We see this verified in Pagans Turks and Hereticks Who zealously attend upon the Publick Offices of their Religion and so continue their Sect. How comes their Religion to lead them to have frequent Assemblies and ours to make us neglect them But that they keep up their Love to their Religion such as it is and we have lost our first Love and so endanger the loss of our Religion For had we a sincere love to it we should be led by the Natural Dictates of it to attend upon its publick Offices that being the very first thing to which Religion inclines us and there to attend with all seriousness both to the Prayers and Hymns and to the Holy Scriptures which are then read unto us And therefore our Religion hath gone to decay because we have not minded publick Assemblies dayly but where they are kept up they are empty and thin or when they are full there are none of these Natural signs of Devotion in too many people which are among all Nations bended Knees Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven nay they do not attend to the Word of God there read but pass it by as a Tale that is told fancying I suppose it is never the Word of God but when it is preached that is spoken without Book These are not the Faults of all nor I hope of most among us But I have observed some of them especially the last of Whispering together all the time the Scriptures are read as if they were nothing but an empty sound in so many Persons from whose Understanding one would expect better things that I could not but take notice of such unbecoming Behaviour in the House of God Where I beseech God to awaken all his Ministers to perform their Duty with careful Diligence And all his People to Accompany them reverently in continual Prayers and Supplications to the Glory of His Great Name the Credit of our Holy Religion the Honour of this Church the Increase of all true Godliness and Vertue among us and the furtherance thereby of our Joyful Account and Happy Meeting in the Day of the Lord Jesus Amen THE END ERRATA PAge 30. l. 24. d. he p. 33. l. 20. for created r. erected p. 53. l. ult for enabled r. enobled p. 59. l. 7. r. 2dly This. p. 65. l. 11. for it r. he p. 106. l. 17. d. also p. 121. l. 3. after yet add p. 123. l. 9. after 19 add p. 168. l. 1. for times r. time p. 170. l. 22. for Rules r. Rule p. 184. l. 25. r. was as well performed any where as in the Church p. 185. l. 3. r. inlarge THE CONTENTS THE Introduction PART I. CHAP. I. OF the Nature of Prayer Page 1 CHAP. II. Of the Necessity of Prayer Page 10 CHAP. III. The sense of all Mankind about this matter especially of our Blessed Saviour Page 22 CHAP. IV. Other Arguments of the great Necessity of Prayer Page 32 CHAP. V. Some Reflections upon the foregoing Considerations Page 39 CHAP. VI. The Honour God doth us in admitting us into his Presence Page 49 CHAP. VII The Pleasure which springs from the serious performance of this Duty Page 61 CHAP. VIII The great Benefits we receive by serious Prayer to God 74 CHAP. IX The Three foregoing Chapters improved Page 85 PART II. CHAP. X. Publick Prayer the most necessary of all other Page 95 CHAP. XI God is most honoured by Publick Prayers Page 99 CHAP. XII Publick Prayers most advantagious unto us Page 115 CHAP. XIII Publick Prayers most sutable to the Nature of Man Page 135 CHAP. XIV The Nature of a Church requires there should be Publick Prayers Page 162 CHAP. XV. Our Blessed Saviour the Founder of the Church teaches us this Doctrine Page 168 CHAP. XVI Which is further confirmed by the Practice of the Apostles and the first Christians Page 177 CHAP. XVII Other Considerations to strengthen this Argument Page 192 CHAP. XVIII A Recapitulation of the four foreing Chapters with some Inferences from thence Page 206 CHAP. XIX Of Dayly Publick Assemblies and of Hours and Gestures of Prayer Page 222 CHAP. XX. Some Objections removed Page 244 THE END